Rock breaker



Oct. 5, 1937.

J. W. ADY, JR.. ET AL ROCK BREAKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 26, 1933I Q INVENTORS gmf wqwww M s /Zuztw ATTORNEYS Oct, 5, 1937. J w JR, ET AL2,094,865

ROCK BREAKER Filed June 26, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE ROCK BREAKER Joseph W. Ady, Jr., and Robert D.Wilfley, G010- rado Springs, 0010.

Application June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,642

7 Claims.

' within practical limits, to regulate -the intensity of the breakingaction according'to varying conditions and differing materials, andstill other objects reside in details of construction as will be setforth in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, in the several views of which like partsare similarly designated, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a machineembodying the distinctive features of the invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1,and

Figure 3 is a vertical section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The principal elements of the machine are two endless elevatingconveyors disposed with relation to each other, so that materialdelivered from either, will be picked up by the other to be again raisedto an elevated point of discharge. The material discharged from theelevators falls through space onto respective breaker-elements by whichthe ore or other material is reduced, and the two conveyors thusco-operate to reduce the material to the desired fineness.

In the drawings, the two elevators 5 slant in opposite directions tomove in intersecting planes. The elevators are of the bucket-conveyortype, 4 each comprising an endless belt 6 carrying a plurality ofbuckets l in equidistant spaced relation to each other. It is to beunderstood that endless chains or other carriers may be substituted forthe belts.

The endless carriers are mounted upon rotary sheaves, drums or sprocketwheels 8 and 9, the lower ones of which are mounted for rotation in atank I0, while the upper ones are supported in bearings I 2 on asuperstructure I3.

Pulleys M on the shafts of the upper sheaves or wheels serve for theoperation of the two conveyors by connection with a conveniently locatedmotor or other source of energy.

Owing to their slanting position, material dis- 55 charged at the upperends of the two elevators will fall through space, and series of spacedbreaker bars I5 are disposed in the tank to intercept the fallingmatter, and by the resulting impact, reduce the rocks and otherconstituents of the material to greater fineness.

The upper or impact faces of the breaker bars may be rounded as shown inthe drawings, so that fine particles of material adhering thereto may bedislodged by the impact of other matter in the continued operation ofthe machine. Water or other liquid is supplied to the tank throughvalve-controlled conduits l6 and overflow openings I! in opposite sidesof the tank, establish a liquid-level I8 beneath the breaker elements.

The tank has a central wall IQ for the bearings which support the shaftsof the lower sheaves or wheels 8 of the elevators, but the spaces be-.

neath the breaker-elements communicate so that matter passing throughthe bars of either element may pass to a point below the conveyorassociated with the other element, for re-elevation.

The sides of the tank extend inwardly, as at 20, to provide bearings forthe opposite ends of the shafts of the lower sheaves or wheels of theconveyors.

In the operation of the machine, material to be reduced is fed into thetank at any convenient point thereof.

The two elevators moving in the direction of the arrows shown in Figure3 of the drawings, pick the material from the tank and carry it to theelevated points of delivery. The material discharged from the elevatorsdrops through space to fall upon the respective breaker-elements, andthe impact of the material with the bars of the latter, reduces thematerial to greater fineness.

The reduced matter settling in the body of liquid constantly supplied tothe tank, builds up, slides and is otherwise compelled to move fromeither end of the tank to: the other, so that the matter dischargedfrom. either elevator after having passed through the spaces between thebars of the respective breaker-element, will move to the region of thetank in the path of the buckets of the other elevator to be re-elevatedand further reduced by impact with the other breaker-element. Materialeventually reduced to the desired fineness floats from the tank throughthe openings ll into launders 2| or other conduits.

It will thus be apparent that the machine comprises two units, A and B,each including an elevator and a breaker element, which cooperate toreduce the material by moving the same alternately to elevated points ofdelivery, and it is a distinctive and important feature of the inventionthat by lengthening or shortening the conveyors, the elevation of thepoints: of delivery above the breaker elements may be so regulated as tovary the intensity of the impact of the material with the breakerelements to any desired degree within practical limits.

It is to be understood that variations in the construction andarrangement of the elements and parts included in the apparatus ashereinabove described and shown in the drawings, may be resorted towithin the scope and spirit of the invention.

' What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rock breaker comprising a tank having an overflow determining aliquid level therein, two upwardly ranging conveyors in the tank, eachhaving its intake below the liquid level and having its discharge at apredetermined elevation above said liquid level, the conveyors beinginclined to dispose the discharge of one in substantially the samevertical plane as the intake of the other, a breaker disposed in thepath of material descending from each discharge by gravity, and ahydraulic inlet acting on settled material in the bottom of the tank formoving the same to a conveyor intake.

2. A rock breaker comprising a tank having an overflow determining aliquid level therein, two upwardly ranging conveyors in the tank, eachhaving its intake below the liquid level and having its discharge at apredetermined elevation above said liquid level, the conveyors beinginclined to dispose the discharge of one in substantially the samevertical plane as the intake of the other, and breakers disposed abovethe liquid level in the path of material descending from each dischargeby gravity. r I

3. A rock breaker comprising a tank having an overflow determining aliquid level therein, two upwardly ranging conveyors in the tank, eachhaving its intake below the liquid level and having its discharge at apredetermined elevation above said liquid level, the conveyors beinginclined to dispose the discharge of one in substantially the samevertical plane as the intake of the other, and two rows of spacedbreaker-bars disposed in the path of material descending from eachdischarge by gravity, the bars of one row being in verticalalinementwith the spaces in the other row.

4. A rock breaker comprising a tank having an overflow determining aliquid level therein, two,

upwardly ranging conveyors in the tank, each having its intake below theliquid level and having its discharge at a predetermined elevation abovesaid liquid level, the conveyors being inclined to dispose the dischargeof one in substantially the same vertical plane as the intake of theother, a breaker disposed in the path of material descending from eachdischarge by gravity, and a hydraulic inlet acting on settled materialin the bottomof the tank for moving the same to each conveyor intake. l

5. A rock breaker comprising a receptacle for material to be broken, twoupwardly-ranging conveyQrs.. in the receptacle, each having its intakein the lower portion of the receptacle and having its discharge at aselective elevation above the receptacle, the conveyors being inclinedto dispose the discharge of one in substantially the same vertical planeas the intake of the other, and a breaker disposed'in the path ofmaterial descending from. each discharge by gravity; to act on anddirect the discharged material to the intake of the other conveyor. 7 I

6. A rock breaker comprising a receptacle for material to-be broken, twoupwardly-ranging conveyors in the receptacle, each having its intake inthe lower portion of the receptacle and having its discharge at aselective elevation above the receptacle, the conveyors being inclinedto dispose the discharge of one in substantially the same vertical planeas the intake of theother, a breaker disposed in the path of materialdescending from each discharge by gravity, and means for varying theelevation of the conveyor discharge relative to the breaker.

7. A rock breaker comprising a receptacle for material to be broken, twoupwardly-ranging conveyors in the receptacle, each having its intake inthe lower portion of the ireceptacleiand having its discharge ata'se-lective elevation above the receptacle, the conveyors beinginclined to dispose the discharge of one in substantially the samevertical plane as the intake of the other, and a plurality of spacedbreaker-bars disposed in the path of material descending from eachdischarge by gravity, each of said bars having its upper surface roundedto resist the deposit of material thereon and effective for directingthe material after impact to, the intake of the other conveyor wherebyto provide a circulatory movement of material through the receptacle. va

' JOSEPH W. ADY, JR.

ROBERT D. W'ILFLEY.

